Florida Anglers Win Big at UM Sports Hall of Fame & Museum Fishing Tournament in Islamorada

ISLAMORADA, Florida Keys — One hundred forty-four anglers on 34 boats competed alongside sports personalities in the University of Miami Sports Hall of Fame & Museum Celebrity Fishing Tournament that ended June 22 in Islamorada. 

Winners were determined by the combined weight of three dolphin fish, with additional awards for catches of blackfin tuna, kingfish and wahoo. 

The Sea Senorita with team Coastal Ink Printing aboard returned to the dock first, helmed by Captain Casey Yaworski of Tavernier, Florida. The team’s three dolphin weighed in at 42.8, 5.5 and 4.1 pounds for a total of 52.4 pounds to win first place and $7,000. 

Team member Tyler Webb from Tavernier landed the whopper 42.8-pound dolphin fish, which earned him the top male angler award and vaulted Coastal Ink Printing into first place. Other team members included Tavernier’s Kendra Paulson; Alissa Keiler from Fort Lauderdale, Florida; and Emalee Taylor from Clearwater, Florida.

Team Contagious with Captain Brian Cone at the helm took second place with a combined weight of 31 pounds. The team’s second-place prize of $2,000 was combined with winnings in the optional Big Three category and first place for the Bucket of Bucks for a total cash prize of $6,569. 

Cone’s son, Andy Cone of Tavernier, was named top junior angler for his 7-pound dolphin fish. Fellow team members including brothers Don and Richard Deleon and Bruce Marchetti from Miami, Florida, brought in the team’s other two dolphin at 18 and 6 pounds. 

The Natural II’s captain Reese Lewis, from Little Torch Key, Florida, guided his team to third place, earning $1,000 with a three-fish weight of 28.1 pounds. That prize was combined with second place for the Big Three and third place in the Bucket of Bucks for total winnings of $3,338. Anglers included Devon Hannah of Marathon, Florida; R.J. and Joshua Lewis of Summerland Key, Florida; and Karel Lewis of Little Torch Key. 

Team Chupi angler Freda Valdes from Miami won the top lady angler award with a 12.6-pound dolphin. 

Team CaneDoc earned the Masters of the Ocean Award and $5,738 after weighing in three dolphin fish at 5.6, 6.2 and 6.3 pounds — plus three blackfin tuna at 29, 24.4, and 23.2 pounds — for a combined weight of 94.7 pounds. The team was made up of anglers Spencer "CaneDoc" Kellogg from Miami; Stephen Kellogg from Seattle, Washington; A.C. Tellison of Weston, Florida; and Islamorada anglers Phillip Bryant, Craig Edwards, Ethan Edwards and Kenny Spaulding.

Stephen Kellogg was awarded King of Fish and $500 for his 29-pound blackfin tuna. 

Next year’s event is slated for June 19-22, 2025.